The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a penile erection.
The inability of one to attain and/or maintain a penile erection is referred to as impotency. There are numerous causes of impotency. Some of these causes are psychological causes and some of these causes are physiological. The applicant has developed various impotency testing devices for use in diagnosing the cause of impotency. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,187, 4,515,166, 4,766,909, 4,606,353, and 4,848,361.
Once impotency is diagnosed, there is a need for devices which will aid one in attaining and maintaining an erection. There are various surgically implantable devices which enable one to simulate a natural penile erection. The applicant has developed several such devices. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,517,967, 4,522,198, 4,541,420 and 4,881,531. While the surgically implantable devices are effective in simulating a natural penile erection, the implantable devices require surgery and typically require a person to spend some time in the hospital.
Devices for producing an erection of the penis have been developed which can be applied externally of the penis without the need for surgery. Many of these devices assist the natural penile erection process by causing blood to flow into the erectile tissue of the penis and then retaining the blood in the erectile tissue.
The operation of these devices can probably be best understood if one understands how a natural erection occurs.
The penis comprises erectile tissue having a sponge-like structure containing cavernous spaces for being occupied by blood. The cavernous spaces are fed by small arteries and capillaries and are drained by small flow restricting veins. Muscles fibers traverse the walls of the spaces and surround the small veins. When the penis is induced to erect, the small arteries dilate, the muscles around the spaces relax, and the muscles surrounding the small veins contract to restrict blood discharge from the spaces of the erectile tissue. The erectile tissue expands as blood is under pressure is pumped into the cavernous spaces, thereby causing the penis to become hard and erect. The natural process of erection is thus basically a matter of causing blood to flow through the arteries under pressure into the erectile tissue and retaining the blood in the erectile tissue by restricting the veins so that the pressurized blood in the erectile tissue cannot flow back through the veins.
Externally applied erection devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,539,980, 4,628,915, 4,378,008, 1,225,341, 2,874,698, 1,117,618, 3,744,486, and Des. 258,690. U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,008 discloses an erection device which includes an evacuation chamber. The evacuation chamber includes a sealing flange adjacent which a base is carried flush for carrying an elastic band. A flexible conduit connects the evacuation chamber to a vacuum source. A valve is disposed along the flexible conduit for holding a partial vacuum in the evacuation chamber.
In use, the penis is inserted into the evacuation chamber with the sealing flange engaging the pelvic area. The vacuum source is then activated to create a partial vacuum in the evacuation chamber so as to cause blood to flow into the erectile tissue of the penis thereby causing an erection. As the blood is drawn into the erectile tissue, the penis lengthens and expands to a distended configuration. When the desired erection is obtained, the valve is closed to hold the partial vacuum in the evacuation chamber. The elastic band is then removed from the device and placed about the base of the penis so as to retain the blood in the erectile tissue. The valve is then opened to release the vacuum and the evacuation chamber removed. The elastic band about the base of the penis facilitates retention of the erection for a period of time after the evacuation chamber has been removed.
While the above described device is relatively noninvasive, it does have problems associated therewith. The present invention solves these problems and other problems associated with externally applied devices.